Interbraced pantograph-trolley.



UNITED S ATE PATENT OFF-10E.

Josnrn A. rowNsENB,..QE jEPF-? e, onmronmn.

INTERIBRACED PANTOGRAPH-TROLLEY.

To all whom it may concemu' Be it known that I, Josnrn A. Town- SEND, acitizen of the United. States,residing at Pasadena, in the county of LosAngeles and State of California, have invented a new and usefulInterbraced Pantograph-Trolley, of which the following is aspecification. Y

This invention relates to that class of electric trolleys wherein acontact device such as a trolley wheel, roller or shoe is supported onan extensible and collapsible skeleton structure, so that the contactdevice may follow the undulations of the trolley wire.

means whereb the contact device may be caused and a lowed to move towardand .from the trolley wire only in a path normal to the car-body so thatthe car can be run forward and back without attention to the trolley; tosecure maximum stability of the trolleyv frame and to insure against anycereening or overbalancing thereof; to holdthe contact device againstthe trolley wire with a uniform and exactly adjusted pressure so as toavoid unnecessary wearing action on the trolley wire or strain on thesame ,or on its support; and tohold an elongated contact device level.

s invention is especially adapted to:

carry an'elongated trolley wheel, roller or shoe so that the wheelpractically neverjumps from the trolley wire, and it is characterized bythe factt at the extensible and collapsible skeleton structure-forsupport ing the wheel is simple, strong and selfbracin Additionalcharacteristics and advantages 40 'mayap ear in the followingdescription or m the rawings filed herewith.

The invention may be variously construct Specification' of Letters Ptent. l ,Application filed June 17, 1813. Serial No. 774,264.

Objects of this invention are: to provide Patented June 16, 1914.

the pivotal'axes of the other pairs of arms so that one terminal framecan move relat ve to the other terminal frame only in a right path.

Another pioneer feature of the invention resides in the combination withtwo of such arms, of a connection fastened toone of the arms led thenceover a pulley on another of said arms and thence over a pulley in fixedrelation to one of said frames so that by operation of saidconnectionthe extensible frame may be extended by drawing upon theconnection" and said frame maybe collapsed by gravity when theconnection is relaxed.

This invention includes and may be fully carried outwith a pantographtrolley frame of three or more pairs of pivotally connected arms, theaxes of each pair of armsbeing oblique to those of atleasttwo'otherpairs of arms.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention in what is at presentdeemed the best form in which I contemplate embodying the same, 4

Figure 1 is a erspective view ofa trolley embodying t e invention as inuse on a middle entrance trolley car, a fragment of wh ch is shown. Fig.2 is a broken ele- 1 yation of a trolley mounted on a car shown intransverse sectional elevation from line or, Fi 3, parts being displacedand moved each other to contract the view. Flg. 3 1s a plan view of theinvention applied to a car, a portion of which is shown.

Parts are broken away for clearness of illus- 'tration and to contractthe view. Fi 4 is a fragmental sectional view taken on line in",

Figs. 2, 5 and 6, and shows the counterbalancingiweight and retrievingmeans.-

on linew, Figs. 4 and 6. Fig.6, is a fraginental plan section on line w,Figs. 4

and 5... r

1 is a car and 2 in a general manner represents, a skeleton trolleyframe holding a contact device 3 in the form of an elongated trolleyroller against the trolley wire 4.

An important feature of the trolley frame will be noted from Fig. 3where top and bottom angular terminal frames 5, 5 are shown superposed,the top frame or contact carrier 5 .beingbroken away in partto exposeparts of the bottom frame 5". It is to be noted that these terminalframe s are 9 5 ,Fig. 5 is a fragmental sectional elevation v 7; therebein pivotally connected to frame 5 the set of downwardly extending anddiverging arms 6, and to frame 5 a like set of arms 7, which extend anddiverge from each other upwardly; the upper ends of the arms 7 beingpivotally connected by the joint 8 to the lower ends of the arms 6and-the lower ends of arm 7 being pivotally connected with the top ofthe car ihroughthe medium of the lower frame 5" whrch is composed ofcylindrical members 9 and acute and obtuseangle boxes 10, 11,

holding the members 9; the boxes being fixed to the top 12 of the carthrough the medium of the platform 13 and the bolts 14 fixed thereto andextending through the boxes'which are secured by the nuts of said bolts.

The top frame 5 is formed of four. cylindrical side members 15 which maybe of gas pipe or other suitable material fastened together by the acuteand obtuse angle pipe connections 16', 17.

The pivotal joints at the uJper ends of the arms 6- and lower ends ofarms 7 are shown as formed of gas pipe Ts 18 journaled on the sidemembers 15 and 9, respectively of the top and bottom frames and held inplace by thrust collars 19 fixed on the members by set screws 20. Thetop frame has upwardly projecting side arms 21l-that are flared over soas to form the emergency hooks 22 and that carry the elongated pin 23upon. which may be rotably mounted the elongated trolley wheel or roller3 which contacts normally with the trolley wire 4.

The trolley wheel being sufficiently wide or elongated will practicallynever jump the wire but if by any circumstance displace ment occurs, theemergency hooks 22 may come into service and catch the Wire and guide itto the contact device.

The corresponding arms 6, 7, or the upper and lower sets are pivotallyconnected by any suitable pivotal joint forming means 3 which in thedrawings embrace forks 25, pins or pivotal axes 26, and T-shaped bearin27 g the forks and bearings being fixed to the ends of the arms andpivotedtogether by the pins.

The skeleton ,trolley frame thus constructed is collapsible and willdrop or retrieve vertically toward the roof of the car by force (ifgravity but by reason of the plural sided terminal frames it holds thecontact device constantly true to a vertical line. Various meansoperated by springs, compressed air, electrical power or by gravity mayhe. variously applied to this novel laterally rigid skeleton structurefor extending it upward and for urging the roller against the trolley,but in the drawings I have shown novel gravity-operated means for thispurpose. An advantage of the gravity-operated means lies in itssimplicity and reliability as compared with the complexity anduncertainty of spring or air controlled means, and an object of thisinvention is to apply it in such manner that it will not detract fromthe collapsible feature and will always be out of the way. The form ofthe Ia\ltyCO11t1Oll(l means which I prefer in udes a line, as the cable28 firmly attached to one arm as at 29, Fig. 2, and strung through thepulley connection 30 on another arm, and thence down and around thepulley 31 fixed to the carsec Figs, 2 and 3-and from thence around thepulley 32 and down into a chamber 33, Fig. 3, where it is ordinarilyconnected with the counter-balancing weight means 34. It is seen thatthe line is connected with the base and with two of the pivoted arms andhas running connection with the base and at least one of said arms.

The chamber 33 may extend the full height of the car and the weight 34normally gravitates'about mid-way between the top and bottom of thischamber. Acting through the line 28 this weight serves to draw towardeach other those arms to which theline is connected as at 29-and 30,thus to elongate the trolley frame to move the contact device, as thetrolley wheel 3, upward and to hold -it against the wire. The weight 34is made just heavy enough to extend the trolley frame and hold thecontact device constantly against the trolley wire with the requiredpressure as said device runs along the undulations of the wire 4; theweight 34 correspondingly moving up and down within the chamber 33. Iffrom any cause the contact device escapes from the wire 4. the weight 34will descend toward the rubber bumper o-r cushion at the bottom of chamber 33, thus extending the trolley frame so that it might strike andbreak the cross-arms or span wires used in supporting the trolley wire4. To avoid such breakage provision is made for releasing the cable 28from then.

weight 34 when the weight has descended to a determined point.

' The cable 28 is firmly connected to an anchor 36 which has laterallugs 37, over which are caught retainers in the form of rigid metalstraps 38,pivotally connected at one end to the weight 34 by staplemembers 39, Figs. 5, 6; so that they may pivot upwardly into the dottedposition, 38 Fig. 5, or laterally into the dotted position 38", Fig. 6,when not held by the catch plate 40, Figs. 4. 5 and 6, which is rivetedonto the weight 34 and has notches 41, Fig. it, into which the straps 88extend so as to be locked down across-the lugs 37, as shown in Fig. 4-,

thus operatively connecting the cable with the Weight. In order to throwthe straps sidewise out of the notches 41, as indicated at 38, Fig. 6,so as to disconnect the anchor 36 and cable 28 from the Weight 34, aspear-shaped member 42, somewhat longer than the Weight 34 is slidablycarried in a groove 43 on one side of the Weight and is provided at thetop with a Wedge point a l to Wedge between the two straps 38 when thelower end 45 of the spear which projects somewhat below the Weight 34,is intercepted as the Weight descends. Vihen'thc trolley Wheel isunrestrained, the Weight 34 therefore drops until the lower end of thes; shaped member 48 comes into contact Wi i the bumper 35, point 84 willstop While the Weight will carry the straps down along the wedge 44%which forces the straps out of the notches 4:1 and allows the Weight ofthe trolley frame to withdraw the anchor from the straps so asdisconnect the line from the Weight and allow the trolley frame tocollapse toward the root of the car and come to rest Where it will notinterfere with. the cross Wires which I oort the trolley Wire. When thetrolley tnus collapsed the line will be drawn out to its full length bythe spreading apartof the arms to which it is connected and the anchor36 Will be in the upper ortion of chamber 33, While the weight will heon the bottom of'the chamber. In order to again c nnect the Weight withthe anchor a resetc 'in, as the line 2:8, is strung ht, as shown in iled around pulleys 4E7 and is the ends with handles 48 can at to themotorman at either end of the so that the Weight may be drawn to the thechamber 33. A suitable door 4-9, ormed in the casing, gives access tothe r miner 33, so that the-motorman or con uctor may reset the anchorand the straps to reconnect the Weight and the cable. in considering thetrolley construction above described it Wlll,'0f course, be apparentthat it is su ject to considerable modification as by usin a differentnumber of arms, and by distributing them in different geometricalrelations, and it is understood that such modifications are within thescope of my invention, but I Wish to direct attention to the fact thatby arranging the joints with relatively oblique pivot axes, the frame isinterbreced so it will not careen; and by the diamond-shaped frameshown, having its elongated axis lying transversely the car,see Fig.3thesupporting arms 6 and 7 need not project out beyond the sides of thecar in order to secure a proper bracing against any tendency to careem'Also the proper braclng of the elongated trolley wheel 3 having its axisobliqueto the axes whereupon the spear.

of the joints is compact and convenient and thecar can travel in eitherdirection without changing the trolley.

In practice the weight acts at about the same leverage at all times whenthe contact device is running along the trolley Wire, and therefore, byincreasing or decreasing the Weight 3 a proper adjustment of thepressure on the Wire can be secured. Attention is also directed to thefact that the pivot axes of the joints-at 5, 5 and 8 are in planesparallel with each other and with the. axis of the contact device andthat the axes of the pivots or" each plane are oblique to each other andthat this feature of construction insures smooth action and perfectinterbracing of the trolley frame so it will not be possible to make thesame careen.

I claim I l. A. pantograph trolley for cars comprising a contactcarrier, :1 base frame adapted for attachment to the car, downwardlydiverging arms obliquely pivoted to the carrier on uses that are obliqueto each other and upwardly diverging arms pivotally connected to thebase on like oblique axes, the upper ends of the oblique upwardlydiverging arms being pivotally connected to the lower ends of theoblique downwardly diverging arms; and means for normally urging theoblique arms toward each other so as to normally urge the contactcarrier upward.

2. The combination with a car of a plurality of upwardly projectingoblique arms, 2 6211152 obliquely pivoting the lower ends of 100 saidarms with the car on axes oblique to each other and to the axisof thecar; a contact carrier above said arms, and arms ob liquely pivoted toand diverging d0Wnwardly from said contact carrier and pivotallyconnected to the upper ends of the up Wardlydivergin oblique arms; theaxes of the pivots-of eac air of oblique arms thus pivotally connectedtogether, being parallel with each other and also being oblique to theaxis of the contact carrier and the car; each of said axes being obliqueto the axes adjacent thereto.

3. A pantograph trolley frame having its pivotal axes arranged in threeplanes, the pivotal axes in each plane being arranged in angularrelation to each other.

4. A pantograph trolley frame having its pivotal axes arranged inparallel planes, the pivotal axes in each plane being arranged inangular relation to each other.

5. A pantograph trolley frame having its pivotal axes arranged in threeplanes, the pivotal axes at each plane being obl que to each other.

6. A pantograph trolley frame having its pivotal axes arranged in threeparallel planes, the pivotal axes at each plane being oblique to eachother.

'2'. A pantographtrolley frame compris- 13b.

and weight means-to operate the line. to

' with two of said arms; such connection with extend the trolley frame.e

. ing more than two pairs of pivotally con- .nected'arms, and framespivotally connected with said; arms at bottom and top respec tively; theaxes of the pivots being spaced apart and oblique to each other. I I

8. Ap'antograph trolley frame comprising more than two pairs ofpivotally-c'onnected arms; a base to which the lower arms are pivotallyconnected; and a trolley carrier to which the upper ends of the upperarm'sare pivotally connected; the axes of the pivotal connections at anyplane being oblique to each other.

9. The combination with a pantograph trolley frame comprising a base'andpairs ofarms pivotally connected together; of a line.having a connectionwith the baseand with two of said arms; such connection with. one ofsaid arms being a running-connection,- and means to operate the line todraw said ar'ms toward each other, thus to extend the trolley frame.

10. The combination with a pantograph trolley frame comprising a baseand pairs of arms pivotally connected together; of a line havingaconnection with the base and one of said arms being a runningconnection;

draw said arms" toward each other,- thus to 11. The combination with apantograph trolley frame comprising a base-and pairs? of arms pivotallyconnected together; of ai line having a conn'ection'withthe base and l ICopies 01 this patent may he obtained fer five cents each, by addressingY Washington, I). G."

with two of said arms; such connection with one of said arms being arunning connection, means to-operate the line to draw said arms towardeach other, thus to extend thetrolley frame; and means to disconnect theline from said operating meanswhcn the trolley framehas extended toadetermined height.

12. The combination with a pantograph ftrolley frame comprising a'baseand pairs of arms pivotally connected together; of a line having aconnection with the base and with twoiof said arms; such connection withone ofsaid arms being. a running connection, weight means to operate theline to draw said arms toward each other, thus to extend the-trolleyframe,.and means to disconnect the line from said weight means when thetrolley frame has been extended to a determined height.

I 13. The combination with a pantograph trolley frame vof'a weight, aline connected to extend the franie detachably-connected with theweight; means to detach the weight from the line at a point in itsdescent; and a line having running connection with the weight to liftthe same for reattachinent to the frame extending line. a

In testimonv whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 10th day of June, 1913. I

' JOSEPH. A. rownsnitn.

In presence of JAMES R. TowNsnNn, L. BELLE WEAVER.

the Commissioner of Patents.

